Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-02

the hotel and were giving our cardS TO
the flunkey in red plush and gold lace
when tremendous rattling and rush.
ing was heard, a swishing of silk
draperies, clanking of spurs and
swords, and, tearing headlong down
the length of the wide crimson-car-
peted staircase with the towering
camelia trees on either side, came a
lovely, graceful girl, dragging long
dark blue train after her. She was
covered with jet ornaments, that
made a noise as of falling hailstones.
Her beautiful face was shaded by
cavaliers hat, with long, dropping,
dark blue plumes. 1t was Pussy
Black. She took her stairs as rapidly
as of old.
Behind her skipped one of those
suburb specimens of Italian military
manhood that decorate the thorough
fares of Rome and do so much to make
the Eternal City attractive to Ameri-
can young women. He was hand
some youth, and with his long black
and yellow legs, his shining accoutre-
ments and his neatly corseted figure
he reminded one of the brilliant dra-
comfy lowering over an exquisite
flower.
Pussy greeted me cordially, and was
extremely sorry that an engagement
for walk with Count Castelnuovo,
who she presented to me, would pre-
vent her remaining at home that
afternoon; but her mamma-she no
longer said "ma"-was upstairs and
would be charmed to see me. Then
she danced off into the sunlight, under
the arched doorway, accompanied by
her count, and all the gentlemen came
out of the reading-room with their
Galignani and Times in their hands to
see the pretty American girl whisk
herself into the street.
Mrs. Black was very gracious to
me. She had acquired artistic tastes
since her arrival at Rome, and was
studying sculpture. Iwon her affec-
tions by praising bust of her hus-
band, which she had just finished. l
ingratiated myself with Mr.. Black by
sympathizing with his desire to give
up all this foreign nonsense and 60
back to dear old California. He hated
absinthe and vermouth, and his wife
wouldn't let him drink whiskey. She
said that it was Glow" Mrs. Black
was a perfect godsend to the starving
artists who infest Rome. They re-
garded her in the light of a valuable
Alderney COW that gave milk freely,
and her rooms were filed with charity
pictures.
The Blacks had been presented at
the Quirinal, and went to all the
court balls. King Umberto had pro-
nounced Pussy bellina, as indeed she
was, and Queen Marguerite had
smiled graciously on the whole family.
Pussy had in her train large
number of young men belong
| ing to the French, Italian and
Russian nobility. The few American
men who represented society at
Rome that winter rather sneered at
her. Some Englishmen residing in
the city considered her "a very odd
girl, you know" although they all ad-
mired her beauty. But they were
frightened off at last by her sharp lit
tie tongue. Pussy had a keen eye for
a fortune hunter, and she did not
take kindly to the British variety of
that class.
Judge of my delight, my surprise,
and my hope, when Pussy Black
singled me out from among her circle
of adorers to be the trusted companion
Of her daily walks, her favorite part
nef at the balls, her general util-
ity man and her cavalier at the
Campagna hunts. After several
weeks Of this kind of treatment ar
rived at the conclusion that Miss Black
returned the love 1 felt for her.
There came an evening so full Of
tender glances, of sweet and subtle
smiles, of delicate and wonderful
witchery, that my whole life and des-
tiny seemed to lie in the hollow of a
girls dimpled hand. 1t was beauti-
ful little hand. Cased in a long
glove, the dainty hand lay lightly,
like light flower, upon the black
coats of Pussy's partners. The
Quirinal ballroom had never seen a
lovelier presence than Pussy Black as
she appeared that evening. There
were crowds of white tulle about her,
caught up with white water-lilies, and
lily buds peeped lovingly from under
the golden-knot that lay low on her
graceful head. Not one of the princi-
sesse, duchesse and contesse who
glanced at her with veiled, well-bred
contempt from under their naughty
eyelids could compare with her for
beauty or charm. They were mortally
Jealous of her. Princess Ghigi went
so far as to refuse Pussy's hand in the
grand chain of the lancers. On the
other hand, some of the most magnifi-
cent male grandes of Rome laid
themselves beneath the little white
sliupered feet of the California
girl. Pussy seemed to say to me with
her eyes, CAN this triumph and
success and homage are for you"
She danced the cotillion with me
and Count Castelnuovo, who led it,
looked stilletos and vendetta. The
supreme moment Of my life came
when found myself alone for mo-
ment with Pussy in a pale blue satin
alcove lined with shining mirrors that
gave back the reflection of her slender
white figure. ] had just cloaked her
with q marvellous hooded mantle Of
white feathers, and her blue eyes
looked up into mine like forget-me-
nots springing from under snowdrift.
Coquette as she was, there was no CO.
quetry in that glance.
Just then a loud laugh in the corri-
dor broke the silence. hurried Pussy
out of the alcove and found Mrs. Black
waiting with Count Castelnuovo at the
head of the stairs, among the palm
a. L~s
handsome and rather vulgar. She
wore an uncommonly self-satisfed ex-
preston.
"Mr. Bruce" said the ex-circus
rider, imperiously, "will you give me
your arm and let Count Castelvuovo
escort my daughter?"
Pussy reminded me of beautiful
great white bird as she skipped down
the stairs before me in her feather
cloak, with Count Castelnuovo playing